** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. $$ Teacher Salary and Benefits $$ The Gates Foundation is pouring money into “better educational outcomes”. Lots of money. But little of it is going into the pockets of working teachers. In fact, most...

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. The teacher’s own expectation of the students. Yep, that’s right. Teachers who think their students are smart will have smart students (all things equal). It is the factor that is...

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. Hana’s Suitcase Forget fiction/non-fiction, if I had just one book to insist teachers of all levels share with their students – Hana’s Suitcase would be it. A personal aside: I’ve always had an...

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. Grit / Perseverence I asked my B.Ed. students this question recently – the number 1 quality that research shows will lead to a “successful” student. They came up with many great qualities but didn’t...

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. Assuming The Students Understand “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” ~George Bernard Shaw I’ve thought a lot about this and based on my own experiences as...

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. Dr. Quinn’s Love Line I can’t tell you how many tears of laughter I’ve shared with students while using Dr. Quinn as an example of Voicethread. He’s incredible and even after 5+ years, still...

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. They Go Over The Class Rules Yes, despite so many teachers doing this – I believe it a killer for creating the class atmosphere and “team spirit” that is so essential for teaching. ...

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. Draw My Thing I’ve written about this game every time I’ve posted about drawing in the classroom. However, it is much more than a drawing game. Think...

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. How Hard Can It Be – F.A.T. Workshop I remain firmly convinced, based on years in the classroom and the research out there, that language learners older than 4-5 are “disabled” learners. They are...

Just a reminder to those who haven’t taken a look yet – my “Number 1 in ELT” ebook is a free download (click the little icon). Full of the best and not the rest – a synthesis of my experience both regarding technology and also...

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. Learning = School = Education Learning is not 9 to 3, Mon. to Friday. Learning is not with a teacher and sitting at a desk. Learning is not a diploma or certificate. Learning is...

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. True Tube I’ve been on TrueTube since the beginning and watched it flourish as a go to site for great, critical content for educational use. In the beginning, a one woman show, now a...

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. David Suzuki There are many great teachers in Canada. Are and have been. However, despite my love of Northrope Frye and having grown up on his intellectual bread – I have to voice without...

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. Larry Ferlazzo Larry Ferlazzo does so much to help the wider English teacher community, I’m almost lost at how to begin….. With that in mind and with the thought that he is not as...

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. The British Council’s – Teaching English Last week I wrote about the #1 Professional Development site for ESL. This week, the focus is EFL. I’m a big fan of the power of “Teaching Voices”,...